1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to textile printing and patterning machines.
2. The Art
In my copending application Ser. No. 735,198, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, I have disclosed textile printing and patterning equipment which uses dot-printing elements movable axially of themselves into and out of engagement with a workpiece web, so that in response to such engagement each element prints a color dot onto the web. The elements may be selected (by appropriate control devices) to print individually or in groups. The number and relative positions of elements selected to make up a group can be varied to obtain a desired pattern. The elements are each provided with an ink (i.e. printing medium) space from which the printing medium is derived which prints the color dots. The dots printed by adjacent ones of the elements are applied to the web so closely together that they merge, so that a continuous printed surface (rather than a rasterlike surface) is obtained.